New York (CNN) Anthony Bourdain, a gifted storyteller and writer who took CNN viewers around the world, has died. He was 61.

CNN confirmed Bourdain's death on Friday and said the cause of death was suicide.

"It is with extraordinary
sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony
Bourdain," the network said in a statement Friday morning. "His love of
great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable
stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never
ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and
prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult
time."

Bourdain was in France working
on an upcoming episode of his award-winning CNN series. His close friend
Eric Ripert, the French chef, found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel
room Friday morning.

Bourdain was a master of his
crafts -- first in the kitchen and then in the media. Through his TV
shows and books, he explored the human condition and helped audiences
think differently about food, travel and themselves. He advocated for
marginalized populations and campaigned for safer working conditions for
restaurant staffs.

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Along the way, he received practically every award the industry has to offer.

"He's irreverent, honest,
curious, never condescending, never obsequious," the judges said.
"People open up to him and, in doing so, often reveal more about their
hometowns or homelands than a traditional reporter could hope to
document."

The Smithsonian once called him "the original rock star" of the culinary world, "the Elvis of bad boy chefs."

In 1999 he wrote a New Yorker
article, "Don't Eat Before Reading This," that became a best-selling
book in 2000, "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary
Underbelly."

The book set him on a path to international stardom.

First he hosted "A Cook's Tour"
on the Food Network, then moved to "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations"
on the Travel Channel. "No Reservations" was a breakout hit, earning two
Emmy Awards and more than a dozen nominations.

In 2013 both Bourdain and CNN
took a risk by bringing him to the news network still best known for
breaking news and headlines. Bourdain quickly became one of the
principal faces of the network and one of the linchpins of the prime
time schedule.

Season eleven of "Parts Unknown" premiered on CNN last month.

While accepting the Peabody award in 2013, Bourdain described how he approached his work.

"We ask very simple questions:
What makes you happy? What do you eat? What do you like to cook? And
everywhere in the world we go and ask these very simple questions," he
said, "we tend to get some really astonishing answers."

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How to get help: Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.